Important life lessons I learnt as an adult beginner skier

A BEACH BUM’S GUIDE TO SKIING

Learning how to ski as an adult comes with many fun moments and a few frustrating ones, leaving you with many stories to tell. I was aware of this when I started my ski lessons just a few years ago but even so, the journey has exceeded my expectations.

Looking back at it, it recently hit me that I have learnt so much more than just parallel turns and hockey stops. Especially if you are not jumping into downhill skiing from another winter sport, then your first ski trip and those first days on the pistes and après ski sessions will introduce you to a surprising yet magnificent new world. More importantly, they will enrich your life for longer than the duration of a ski trip.

In this blog post, I will talk about life lessons I learnt as an adult beginner skier.

TRUE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS & WHY CLIMATE CHANGE SHOULD BE OUR TOP PRIORITY ISSUE

We all know about climate change. Most of us acknowledge that its primary cause lies with man-made activities. Many of us try to incorporate practices and habits that help us tread more lightly on this planet. However, few of us realise that climate change, environmental degradation and air and water pollution will be some of the most important battles that humankind will ever face. In fact, we do not seem to grasp that the battle to protect this planet should have already started a long time ago with all of us in it.

One of the main reasons for this inertia is that so many of us are city dwellers, only fleetingly escaping the bounds of a sheltered, secluded life. We hardly spend any time in the natural habitats most at risk. Wild-life sanctuaries, coral reefs, rainforests or the snow-capped mountains are places we visit just a handful of times in our lifetimes, if we are lucky. So, their endangered state makes us anxious only for a little while during our brief visits, if at all. 

Skiing in the mountains every year, experiencing their awe-inspiring beauty and witnessing the anxiety of locals and visitors alike for the winter season getting smaller and extreme events being more likely, one cannot help but feel responsible. Responsible for both the problem but also the solution. And motivated. Motivated to help out. The more time we spend in nature, the more we love it, respect it and take care of it. 

# LIFE LESSONS LEARNT AS A SKIER:

Skiing is not just a fun, posh or adrenaline fuelled holiday. It is also a chance to get out there and experience nature in all its glory. This, in turn, inescapably compels us to become champions for its protection, for generations to come.   

Interested in learning more about climate change and its impact on the skiing industry? Start from this Quartz article, this Jstor article, this Climate.gov article and this SnowBrains.com article.
 

THE VALUE OF GREAT GEAR & WHY WE DON’T NEED GOOD WEATHER TO EXPLORE THE GREAT OUTDOORS 

I have talked about how skiing transformed me into a winter lover in my top 5 reasons for adults to learn how to ski. There I explain how I started out as a die-hard beach bum / summer loving southern European (hence the title of my blog post series) who ended up happily skiing in heavy snow / Canadian winter conditions. And wanting more. However, apart from far flung adventures, I also look forward to expanding my horizons in more outdoors activities here in England. And, as you can imagine, the weather, here, is not your friend. 

There are three things which led to this transformation. Firstly, there was the realisation that spending half (or more) of the year indoors is not conducive to my physical and mental health and wellbeing. Secondly, I have come to crave the feeling of euphoria that comes with getting back to a warm and cosy house after spending the day outside surrounded by a frosty landscape. Almost as much as the joy of a hot, sunny day spent outdoors! Lastly, I learnt that, when equipped with proper clothing and gear, the weather stops being the enemy and party pooper. 

FROM INDOORS TO OUTDOORS & VICE VERSA

Having said that, I am well aware that dressing for bad weather conditions is not something you automatically know if you have lived in the city all your life and never had to spend too long in nature. Skiing has indeed taught me how to dress for cold weather (same goes for other outdoors winter activities, of course). Have a look at my ultimate ski packing list & tips and you will soon see a pattern on the ways one stays warm, dry and comfortable. In a nutshell, it’s all about layering and opting for breathable and sweat wicking materials and a water-resistant outer shell. 

There is, indeed, something really empowering with owing a water-resistant jacket, grippy boots and thermals. And the best thing is that you do not even have to pay a fortune anymore to get your gear right. If you are someone who feels the cold easily and that is making you spend all winter at home, check out your local outdoors gear shop. Feel like you won’t get that much use out of it? Wrong. City clothes are more often than not driven by fashion and style rather than thermal (and general) comfort. Adding a breathable thermal or waterproof outer shell, will get you ready for everything, from rushing to a meeting to enjoying your lunch in an outdoor restaurant, no matter the season.

# LIFE LESSONS LEARNT AS A SKIER:

Winter sports are not only intended for fearless daredevils or those born and raised on the mountains. It would be a shame to miss out on all the fun (whether in the slopes or the city streets) just because you never came across merino wool clothing before! Life changing!

FITNESS CAN BE FUN & WHY TIME OFF WORK SHOULD TIRE YOU OUT PHYSICALLY AND RELAX YOU MENTALLY 

This point is probably more suitable for people who are desk bound for the better part of their day. If your job tires you out physically, then you may need to skip this part because spending all day on a sun lounger not moving a muscle might be just what the doctor ordered. However, for the rest of us who spend our lives in front of a laptop, here goes. 

Ski trips have taught me that spending my well-deserved break getting physically tired is the best way to mentally switch off and forget about the stresses and worries of everyday life. While physical exertion generally does that in the city as well, being physically active while on holiday does not even compare with hitting the gym after a full day’s work. And it’s not even just skiing.

Ask anyone who has done a yoga class while on holiday. Does it compare to their usual pre / post work session? Even if the standard of teaching is worse, the whole experience of working out is so much better because our attitude and general state is better; we are more rested, positive and relaxed. Not to mention the fact that exercising in nature is so much better than sweating it out in a basement, as fancy a basement as it may be.

# LIFE LESSONS LEARNT AS A SKIER:

Skiing is so much more than your average work out. Further than its obvious health and wellbeing benefits, it gave me the gentle nudge to crave physical activity in other forms and include them in every holiday and trip I take. 

THE JOY OF LIFELONG LEARNING & WHY YOU CAN TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS

Is it just me that gets shivers down my spine when I hear the term lifelong learning? Does it also make you think of boring work training sessions without any real monetary incentive or genuine interest? If that’s a yes, then excuse my borrowing a tainted term to describe something wonderful that, as we grow older and busier, we tend to forget. That is the joy of learning something new, expanding our horizons and discovering new interests. All essential elements to creating a happy and stimulating life outside work. 

As I explain in the first post of this series, I started learning how to ski when I was 30 years old. As you have read so far, along with skiing there was this whole learning curve that came with it. Needless to say, I was completely clueless about all that jazz. But even though I felt embarrassed about my cluelessness at the time, I was also excited. I was happy because my life became a little bit richer at a time when you are only supposed to grow through work, family or by buying more sh&!t; isn’t that restrictive?

Learning new things, craving new experiences and expanding our mind and physical ability enriches our life in more ways than one can imagine. For that reason, it should never stop, no matter our age. 

# LIFE LESSONS LEARNT AS A SKIER:

A happier life can start with something as small and relatively insignificant as joining a book club or learning yoga. Or it could be going on your first ski trip in the Alps or buying your first pair of hiking boots and visiting the national park close to your home… Or in the other side of the world. 

 

FINAL THOUGHTS 

The whole point of A Beach Bum’s Guide to Skiing is to encourage adults of all ages to learn to ski. If you are interested in skiing and always wanted to try it, well, go ahead and try it! Don’t just do it because it’s fun and makes for amazing holidays (though that is reason enough). Do it because it creates great opportunities to embrace the outdoors in winter, experience remarkable landscapes and challenge oneself to learn something new and get out of that familiar comfort zone. Don’t miss out…

The mountains are calling.